The Election Commission on Thursday rejected the nomination of the Congress candidate from Mulbagal constituency. The polling monitor accused G Manjunath of lying in his affidavit about being from a Scheduled Caste community to contest from the reserved seat.

The Mulbagal Returning Officer rejected his nomination papers quoting the Karnataka High Court’s order from Wednesday that had set aside his 2013 win in the last Assembly elections in the state, The New Indian Express reported.

Manjunath had won from the Mulbgal Assembly constituency as an independent MLA in 2013 and joined the Congress later. Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Munianjappa, who had lost to Manjunath, had moved the High Court alleging that the Congress candidate belongs to the Byragi caste, which falls under the Backward Class Muslim/Others category, but had claimed in his nomination papers that he belongs to the Beda Jangama community, which is a Scheduled Caste.

The Janata Dal (Secular) candidate had appealed to the Mulbagal Returning Officer to reject Manjunath’s papers while scrutinising all candidates’ nomination papers on Wednesday as the High Court order had yet to reach the official. The returning officer had adjourned the scrutiny to Thursday.